James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

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People waitiing in line at a counter at the PFD office

Where do Alaska’s governor candidates stand on the Permanent Fund dividend?

Independent Bill Walker, Democrat Les Gara and Republicans Mike Dunleavy and Charlie Pierce have different approaches to solving the Alaska Permanent Fund impasse.
tall buildings on a sunny day

Jury awards million-dollar verdict to attorney fired by Alaska Department of Law

“I’ve done the right thing, and it cost me a lot,” said Joan Wilkerson, the attorney who filed a lawsuit in 2018 against the department.
marijuana products

No marijuana-possession prisoners in Alaska, state officials say

The state of Alaska, which voted to legalize recreational marijuana use in 2014, has no one in prison for simple marijuana possession, state officials said on Thursday.
a protester opposing an Alaska constitutional convention

Campaign against Alaska constitutional convention gets major donations from D.C. groups

The largest group urging Alaskans to vote against a constitutional convention has received a major boost from a pair of Washington, D.C., groups.
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Alaska Legislature’s new social media policy nixes banning and blocking

A House-Senate panel voted 8-3 in favor of adopting the new policy on behalf of the entire Legislature.
voters in a dark room

Here’s how to track campaign cash in Alaska elections

A guide to searching the records of the Alaska Public Offices Commission.
Alaska's legislative budget and audit committee

Special investigation finds Gov. Dunleavy wasn’t involved in firing of former Permanent Fund CEO

The investigation was ordered by a committee of the Alaska Legislature after former CEO Angela Rodell alleged "political retribution" was involved.
a man in a tie stands in a meeting room

Alaska Rep. Eastman remains on ballot but could be disqualified after election

The Alaska Constitution’s "disloyalty clause" will be tested in a Dec. 12 trial on Wasilla Republican David Eastman's eligibility to hold office.
a man in a tie stands in a meeting room

State judge to decide eligibility of Alaska lawmaker linked to Oath Keepers

A Matanuska-Susitna Borough man says Rep. David Eastman has violated the "disloyalty clause" of the Alaska Constitution.
a man and a woman at a podium

Judge: Alaska elections officials must enforce disloyalty clause

An Anchorage Superior Court judge ruled that the Alaska Division of Elections has a duty to determine whether a candidate for public office is ineligible for disloyalty.
a headshot of a man in a suit who is smiling

Kenai Peninsula Borough paid more than $260,000 to settle complaints against Pierce

Borough employees and elected officials have declined to confirm the existence of another complaint.
photographers taking photos of two people watching a computer

Five takeaway lessons from Alaska’s first ranked choice election

Political advisers, pollers and independent observers say there are five early lessons from Alaska’s first ranked choice election.
a sign at a polling place

Two rural Alaska communities failed to open polling places on election day

Alaska Division of Elections officials say voting stations in the state's Aug. 16 special election did not open in Tununak and Atmautluak.
a portrait of a man with a screen behind him

Kurka calls on Pierce to resign from Alaska governor’s race, citing unconfirmed harassment claim

If Charlie Pierce and his running mate quit before Tuesday, Christopher Kurka would fill the No. 4 spot in the general election.
a person with a red pen and paper

Here’s how Alaska’s first ranked choice election will be counted

When preliminary results are announced at 4 p.m. Wednesday, it will reveal the likely winner.

Alaska’s new primary election system showed who voters favored, but it only cut one legislative candidate

As Alaska Beacon reporter James Brooks points out, the votes tallied Tuesday mostly amount to a state-sponsored poll with a nice, big sample size.
ballots go into a scanner

Final U.S. House results won’t be available until Aug. 31 as officials wait for overseas votes

Officials won’t put the ‘ranked’ into ranked choice voting until all ballots arrive.

Supreme Court rules against forward funding for education, confirms limit on legislative power

The decision settles a three-year-old dispute between the Legislature and Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
a woman wearing glasses stands up in a meeting room

Legislative committee boosts budget for Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. investigation

Members of the committee hired a special investigator in January to determine whether political factors played a role in the firing of Angela Rodell.

As Congress prepares to pass climate bill, Alaska environmentalists see more harm than good

“Our view on this bill is ultimately, it causes more harm than good,” said Emily Sullivan, communications director for the Northern Alaska Environmental Center.